The town of Fur Rivers was thrown into a crazy frenzy of panicky terror and mourning. The death of Bill Castle and his family circulated around the town’s local newspapers. Old Sam read about it. Selena, Victor and Dvorak Zimmerman heard about it from the town gossip. Caesar read about it in the papers when he came into town from his mansion to see to do some business.
It was now crystal clear to the Fur River folks that the werewolves were very much around them. The notion that the werewolves were planning to invade and take over the tow seemed true now; a war between the humans and werewolves loomed ahead.
In all of this, Victor and Selena would have been astonished if they had known they were going to play a major part in this war.
“What the hell is going on?” Dvorak said to Victor. “Few weeks ago, some folks heard a werewolf running in the streets. Maggie heard it too. She said it howled very close to our home,” Victor’s body had stiffened on hearing this. “And now, Bill Castle and his family are completely wiped out. What the hell is going on, Victor?” He was looking at Victor now, his eyes questioning as if Victor had answers to his questions.“This goddamn town ain’t safe anymore.” There was a palpable terror in the voice of the hay seller.
Victor grimaced. He could not say anything. He could only stare. How could he bring himself to tell Dvorak that even though he had had no hand in the death of Bill and his family, he was also in a way part of these whole situations; he was a werewolf. And for that reason, he felt responsible.
“Are you alright?”
Victor breaks out of his thoughts. He turned to Dvorak.
“What did you say?”
“I asked if you were alright?” Dvorak said, looking at him, puzzled. “You seem kind of lost a while back.”
Victor grinned, but it waned.
“I’m good! Just a little tired of all these, that's all.”
Dvorak regarded him for a long moment. Much later, he said to Victor . “My family and I are moving to Devils Wept this week.”
The words hit Victor like a slap on his face. He faced Dvorak, his eyes wide with shock.
“What? Why Dvorak…..why are you going?” He asked Dvorak lifted his powerful shoulders.
“Because of all this wolf business, that’s all. The werewolf stories are driving Maggie nuts. It’s giving the kids nightmares. I jitter every now and then when I hear these stories. Best thing is to leave.” he concluded.
“But you’ve got your home here. You’ve got your business too,” Victor went on, abashed. “You can’t just leave.”
“Yes we can,” Dvorak returned and grimaced. “This town ain’t safe anymore. We are going to leave the house. It’s not much to sell.”
Victor brooded for some moment. Then he said; “Can I stay here?” He asked, looking into Dvorak’s eyes.
Dvorak narrowed his eyes.
“I thought you’ve always wanted to go to Devils Wept.” He questioned. “What changed?”
Victor could not give a definite answer to that. Maybe later, he could but not at that moment. All he knew was that he still had some unfinished business in Fur Rivers.
Dvorak stared at him for some moments, seeing he was not going to say anything, he heaved heavily.
“You are an odd fish, Victor. I will give you that,” he clapped Victor on his shoulder. “You can stay here, Victor. Maggie and I would be pleased that you are here,” Victor grinned and Dvorak could see the young man was genuinely happy. “Just be careful, boy.” He continued. “And do whatever you gotta do and get the hell outta here.” and Dvorak left him to go and play with his kids who were playing and running around in the hot, afternoon sunshine.
As night fell, Victor was on his bed lost in thought when his phone rang, showing Marianna's name. Grunting, he got up. They had agreed to meet in the woods where she found him. He suggested meeting elsewhere, but she insisted on the woods saying she had to be careful because of her brother. He had probed further, asking her who her brother was and if possible she could introduce them. She told him that would be difficult and he had noticed the fear in her voice, though it went away quickly, but it had been there alright.
His instinct had told him she was hiding something from him. And he was going to find out what it was. He was not a fool to women's wiles. A woman’s wiles…..he stiffened. Those words had brought into his head the images of another woman. A woman from his past. A seductress who had used her wiles on him…..a woman that had led him being banished from his pack…..a woman.…..No! This has to stop! He was not going to think about her again. She belonged in the past and the past it is.
He dressed quickly, grabbed his keys and quietly left the house, avoiding waking Dvorak and his wife . Mounting his Triumph, he rolled away from the house silently, then when he was in a safe distance from the house, he fired the engine, revved it and sped away through the streets.
Few men littered the streets. Some stood in the shadows of stalls and kiosks, the red glow of cigarettes indicating where they were.
Victor rode hard and fast, the darkness of the night surrounding him. He got to a junction and he chose the path leading to the woods. Racing past thick bushes and towering trees, he soon arrived at the tree where Marianna had found him naked.. She was there already. She looked exceptional in a snug black blouse, tight pants, and boots, her beautiful face lighting up with a smile as she saw him, though he could see she was anxious.
Victor halted the bike, killed the engine and dismounted.
“Been waiting long?” He asked, giving her a smile. Then he opened his big arms.
The smile on her face broadened, unable to stand still herself, she raced to him and flew into his arms. She felt so light in his arms that as he caught her, he swinged around, and she shrieked out in joy.
Victor held her tightly; but her hold on him was much stronger. She gripped him so tightly he thought his bones were going to break.
After a while, she pulled away, then she lifted her head up.
“Yeah! I was going crazy just waiting for you.” and she brought his mouth down hungrily to hers. They stood like that, their mouths dueling, moaning into each other's mouths, suckling each other's lips, then kissing again. After some time, Victor broke away.
“I miss you, Anna,” he said, looking into her eyes passionately.
“I miss you more, wolf man,” she wailed, her fingers touching his face now, tentatively, afraid that he was going to disappear any time soon. “Oh! I’m so scared for you.” she said breathlessly and shivered in his arms.
Victor narrowed his eyes on her.
“Scared for me? What is it? Why?” He questioned.
“You’ve got to be careful, wolfman,” she said in a hushed voice. “No one in the town must know who you really are.”
Much to her dismay, Victor pulled away from her. He dipped his hands into his pockets and brought out a pack of Marlboro cigarettes and a gas lighter. He took out two sticks. He gave her one. Then they both lit up.
“Nothing is going to happen,” Victor replied calmly. “No one is going to find out who I am.” he released a thick smoke into the air.
“I know, I know!” Marianna said, smoke wisped out of her mouth in a thin line. “But remember, this is a small town. News travels around faster here. If the notion that a werewolf lives amongst us here goes around, there would be trouble, real trouble.”
The way she was saying those words piqued his interests and he looked at her, questioningly.
“Anna, is there something I should be aware of?” He asked. “Is there something you are not telling me?”
She looked at him for some moments, then she looked away. She dragged smoke into her lungs, let it out, threw the shouldering cigarette stick on the ground and crushed it with her boots. Then she turned to him.
“My brother is a werewolf hunter,” she finally declared.
Victor stiffened with little fright but the fear did not show on him. He had nerves like steel.
“A werewolf hunter? Your brother?” He inquired. “Is he here in Fur Rivers?”
She nodded her head but said nothing.
Victor watched her face closely for some moments. He knew she was telling the truth. There was no reason why she would want to lie to him. Then he remembered the night he had come into town and how Sam had told him about a fur hunter named Caesar .
“This hunter,” he began slowly. “Does he go by the name Caesar?”
Marianna's face turned white as chalk.
“How? How did you know that Victor?” She babbled.
Seeing there was no reason to hide anything from her, he gave a blow by blow account of how he had come into town, walked into Sam's bar and the mess he had met there and how Sam had told him about the prowess of Caesar. By the time he was done, there was a gaze of panic on Marianna’s face.
“You’ve got to believe that old man,” she said, looking at him in horror. “Caesar is highly skilled. If he knows that you are in this town, he will find you and fix you.”
“Surely, he’s no match for a werewolf.” he said, ignoring and hating the stark fear on her face. Fears bore him and Marianna right now was an embodiment of one.
She grabbed his hand and he could feel her hands cold, despite the hotness of the night.
“Don’t ever think of messing with Caesar! Never! He would waste you,” her voice was clipped hard. “You don’t stand a chance against him. He mustn’t know you are here. Do you hear me wolfman, stay the fuck away from him.”
Victor, despite himself, was a little bit thrown off. The way she had said those words made a cold chill run down his spine. But he shrugged it off. Okay, fine! Caesar is a good werewolf hunter! So everybody seems to say. But does he stand a chance against a Delta werewolf like him, he snorted. Hell fucking no!
“Calm yourself woman. Nothing is going to happen.” and before she could protest, he quickly pulled her up to him and shut her up with a kiss. She was rigid in his arms for a while and after sometime, he felt her relaxed and he deepened the kiss.
“Oh wolfman! I don’t want to lose you” she moaned.
“Do you love me?” He asked looking into her love, intoxicated eyes.
“With my whole life” she replied simply.
Victor believed her. But does he love her? He couldn’t think of anything at that moment. But he was sure of one thing? He wanted her. Deftly, he began to pull her clothes off and a few moments later, she was lying on the undergrowth, naked, her luscious, soft body arching into him, as he thrust hard and fast into her. The thought of asking her if she had heard of the name Ivar did not even occur to him.